Pets play a big role in our lives and they should be loved and cherished. Pet owners are filled with so much joy from all their rendezvous with their adorable pets and even regard them as their 'darling daughter' or 'son'! So do we. This blog is all about our darling little paws; Gabrielle, Isabelle, Hercules, Alexander, Victoria The 2nd,Napoleon, Ms. Constantine, Jerry and the late Sidney, Troy and Victoria The 1st...

And through our very own initiative called Animals Are Our Angels, we at Rhinowrites Communications and Malaysia's First 365 Days Cat and Dog Calendars are here to help our homeless animals. Personally, we need to consolidate our efforts to help our animals out there in anyway that we can.

Things that we can do:

1. Become a Foster Volunteer.Help us look for people who can foster the animals that we rescue from the streets. Foster volunteers take these animals into their home, providing a safe environment for them to mature, become more socialized, or heal from an existing wound or illness. This can be an intense short-term commitment, but also a very rewarding one. You have made one step forward to helping us re-home the animal.2. Adopt a Pet or Pass The Message Around.Help us by adopting a dog or a cat. Or pass the word around to your friends and families, forward our emails, etc.

3. For as Low as RM 120, sponsor an animal and save their lives. Sponsor an animal for as low as RM120 a month, that is RM3.70 a day. We can work out an auto debit transaction from your savings account or credit card. You will receive a receipt for this sponsorship programme. The animals will be relocated to a no-kill shelter. That means your money is keeping the animals alive.

4. Help someone neuter a pet.If you know of anyone that needs money to neuter their animals, help them. Educate them on why they need to do so. If you don't have the means to do it, help raise some funds on your own and you will be surprised how many people will come forward to help. And our DBKL clinic in Setapak is reasonably cheap. Call Mr Krishnan @ 012 258 1041 for more information.

5. Report Abuses.If you know of your neigbours or people who are neglecting or abusing their pets. Please report them. Don't be afraid. You have to be their voices. The Spca enforcement officer personnel is Sabrina Yeap and her number is 016 631 9018 and Spca number is 4253 5179.

Three days after Abah's post about Sidney falling sick and exactly a month after Sid suffered, he had left us yesterday on June 28th 2006 a little after 8am. Sid apparently had stroke on the left side of his body probably caused by the FIP disease he is suffering from.

We burried Sid in a very simple funeral in Atok's backyard at Taman Melawati at 10:30 in the morning. Sid was burried with his toy, the Giraffe (see picture below).

It's been a while since I updated the blog. Well, nothing much to put here actually. Anyway, yesterday, 28th June 2006 marks the saddest day of my life. The love of my life, Sidney my cat, passed away. He suffered form Feline Infectious Peritonitis( FIP) and Leukemia and there's nothing much that we can do about it. I was shocked but I knew that this day will come.

Sidney was born on December 2005. We adopted him from SPCA on April 2006. Having a first glance at him, we fell in love. The charm, the cute adorable look, the behavior.. It totally struck us that we wanted to take him home. For what I can say, Sidney is a very good cat. He is one obedient cat. There's nothing wrong with him to adjust himself with the new home. I am so happy at that time. It has been the most happiest day in my life.. One thing about Sidney is that he likes to follow wherever I go around the house. Even if while he's sleeping, a slight movement will wake him up. I'm going to miss that moment, having him following me wherever I go. Sidney, or Sid as we used to call him by the short name, is a bit shy with other people though.. He doesn't like those who he just met. This happened when my nieces come over to our place. Sid will either play dead or hiding behind the television. Somehow, it'll all changed when they left. Maybe he felt uncomfortable with other people, who knows.. In order to makes him happy, we've adopted another cat. A female cat called Gabrielle or Gabby. Things are ok between them.When we heard that he is infected with Feline Infectious Peritonitis( FIP) and Leukemia, I am speechless. A young cat, not even a year old, have been infected with the two killer diseases. As the week goes by, Sid is getting thinner, didn't move much and didn't even have the appetite to eat. We were so worried that we've decided to do something. At least to make him eat. Unhappy with the news from the vet that we took Sidney earlier, we took him to another vet in Danau Kota. It was introduced by Shahrina. Apparently, we were told the same thing. There were only tears to show our sadness. The vet suggested to put him to sleep to end his suffering. But, having to think about it, we don't have the guts to do it as we love him very much.Then, we have decided to move Sid from our place to another home in Melawati. At least to prevent it from affecting Gabby. Days goes by, with a good care, there's a slight change in Sid. But, the viruses, which totally shut down the immune system, it didn't last long. Sid was in critical condition one fine Saturday. We rushed back to Melawati and visited him. On the 28th June 2006, Sid left us. I think maybe his time has come. I regret that he didn't live long. I'm so sorry that he suffered but I hope that he have the care and the attention that he deserved. I hope we have given him the life he wanted. Now, I can't stop thinking about him. He is and will aways be remembered. I hope he has a good life in the other world. Sidney, thank you for giving us the joy and happiness. You will always be here in our heart..

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

In the midst of joy having adopted Gabby, our first son fell sick. Sidney was diagnosed with feline leukemia (FeLV) and is FIP positive (Click here to know about FeLV) + (Click here to know about FIP). We understand Sid may have been transmitted through his mother at birth since SPCA didn’t know his origins.

It all began when Sid started having fever and swollen lymph node. The active and playful Sid suddenly became a passive and quiet cat. We were devastated to know that with FeLV Sid would have a maximum of 6 years lifespan but because of the existence of FIP in his body, his lifespan is shortened to six months only.

We feel disappointed to suddenly see Sid becoming sick. It is very unlikely of him to just sit quietly at a corner in the house. The vet told us, and of course from our reading, there isn’t a cure to the diseases. Sidney started becoming very thin as FIP will shrink the organs; liver, kidney, lungs, heart – everything! He lost his appetite and we have to force feed him.

We seek for a second opinion from Auntie Tata’s vet but were told the same – no cure and a suggestion to put Sid to sleep. We were told that looking at his condition Sid has less than a month to live. Auntie Tata was also there, thank you for being there for us and for Sid. We cried at the vet. I felt like it was the end of the world. So this is how it feels to lose a child.

After much thinking and discussing with Ayah, we decided not to go ahead with the suggestion to put Sid to sleep. To us it’s unethical. We rather take care of him until he breathes his last breath. Our main intention when adopting Sid was to give him a good and happy home. We tried our best and taking care of him was the least we could do.

However, since FeLV and FIP are highly contagious through sharing of litter pan and food, transmitted to bodily fluid and stool, we were advised not to keep Sidney in the same house as Gabby.

Currently Sid is in Taman Melawati, caged and separated from the rest of Atok’s 20+ cats. Uncle Syafiq offered to look after him. We would visit him whenever we can and spend quality time with him whenever possible.

Our days pass by longing for our son’s presence in the apartment. We dearly miss you Sidney. We’re very sorry we cannot keep you here, for the sake of your sister Gabby and your brother Troy. Deep inside we know you understand our decision. We hope these last days of your life are filled with lots of love and happiness.

Gabby is a responsible sister. Perhaps it’s the motherly instinct in her that makes the two of them (Gabby and Troy) very close. I understand from SPCA that before being spayed Gabby has had babies. God knows what happened to them now. I can only hope they’re in happy homes.

Unlike with Sid, Gabby needed no further introduction to Troy. The moment she saw this child she was attracted to him. As seen in the video, this is Gabby’s routine in making sure her little brother is well groomed every day.

Being beauty conscious her self, Gabby makes sure she bathe Troy at least twice a day (those are the times Abah and Ayah could see them) I guess when we’re at work, more bathing takes place. Playful, Troy would bite and kick Gabby but she puts all her effort in making sure her job is done.

We are glad that Gabrielle is such a responsible ‘mother’ to Troy. At times Troy would even suckle Gabby’s nipples for milk. Unfortunately as I understand from the vet, once a female cat is spayed, she won’t be able to produce anymore milk.

All we can say to Gabby, thank you very much for taking good care of your brother.

Monday, June 26, 2006

One fine Sunday in early June after a lot of hissing and marking territories throughout the week, our two children finally unite.

Uncle Syafiq saw Gabby licking Sidney's head and Sidney 'surrendering' to the motherly actions. Lucky us, we managed to get this event on tape. Ruginye Ayah was not around at that time to witness. Tengok gambar je la Ayah ye!

Love,Abah & Ayah

p/s we knew the two of you would get along well eventually. Congratulations kids!

Friday, June 23, 2006

Troy was adopted from the independent Pet Rescuers or Animals Are Our Angels (see rescue2rehome.blogspot.com for more information). Thank you to Sherrina for fostering Troy.

Troy is a 3 - 4 month old male cat, high possibility of being a mix persion because of his extra furry body, but we'll see. He was adopted on June 16, 2206. A healthy brat, Troy is very playful. If the name sounds familiar, yes Troy is named after the big black cat Abah met and wanted to adopt at PAWS but couldn't - hopefully my Troy will grow to be as healthy and as strong.

Troy is indeed very playful. He will wake Abah and Ayah up at 7 every morning (just like Sid but a little earlier). Troy has also grown attached to Gabby to the extend of tearing if he doesn't see Gabby around. Perhaps Gabby's motherly instinct has brought the two very closely knit.

Troy will appear in 3R, a local documentary-like production in 2 weeks time. Yes, he's a celebrity whether I like it or not (of course I'm happy for him.. eheheh jeles nih!) the shooting was done yesterday June 22nd somewhere in USJ. The episode will feature Troy as one of the pets rescued by the IPRs named Karen Bahrain. The episode will also show Abah adopting Troy from Karen and taking him home.

To Troy, welcome and we hope you're happy at your new home; OUR home.

LoveAbah & Ayah

P/s - If you're interested to own a pet (cat or dog) please contact me or visit the IPR blog for further information. We're not rescuers but doing the little bit we can to lend a helping hand.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

At last, after three days (May 30th 2006) being together in the house, Sidney and Gabrielle had become closer. Although at times, some hissing was heard coming from Sid, at least this positive improvement in our childrens' relationship gave us hope that somehow adopting Gabby was not in vain.

Love,Abah and Ayah

Want to see the complete picture set from this historical moment? CLICK HERE.

Just look at the picture above. One was looking to the left and the other to the right. The first time the two kids met they refused to get acquainted. Maybe Sid feels that his territory is trespassed, we don't know, yea since now Sid will have to share his room, his food and even his toilet with a new cat!

But i believe Sid will get along well with Gabby when the he gets to know her better. Moreover the reason for adopting Gabby was to get a friend (if not a sister) for Sid. Ahahah to our darling son, enjoy the company!

Monday, June 19, 2006

Last week Ayah came across an advertisement for animal adoption in the newspaper. It turns out the organisation is Animals are our Angels. Made a couple of new friends when enquiring about their adoption procedure. What attracted us was in the papers it mentioned that adoption is free. We were directed to a blogspot address Rescue2Rehome and saw a picture of these two kittens.

Once more, our hearts stopped seeing these two. After a few phone calls, we found out that the pair (siblings, thrown out a car window near Bangsar by their previous owner) had been adopted just two days too late.

Just look at their eyes. So cute! I understand from their foster, these two kittens were under her care fore two months before being adopted. Whatever it is, we're glad they found a home, just too bad, the home wasn't ours.

To Sherrina, Marina and gang from Animals are our Angels may god bless all you for rescuing the strays. May this be a start of a long and meaningful friendship.

We have been a regular at PAWS Subang since a couple of weeks ago. Not really as volunteers but just to spend time with the cats (wish we could do the same with the dogs). On our first visit there we fell in love with a short-haired mix persian black cat size of a puppy. This cat we named Troy, was adorable. He was friendly and very tame. We guess Troy came from a good home before this.Since the adoption fee at PAWS is really reasonable, we decided to adopt him during that visit but was told he was on medication for flu and cannot yet be adopted. We even asked if we could put some deposit for him and collect him when he'd recovered but was told that there was no such thing as booking a cat at PAWS. Too bad...so we planned to visit PAWS again the following week hoping he'd still be there and had fully recovered.

Last week on Tuesday, we made sure we gave the cats another visit. There we saw Troy in the common cage for adult cats. He looked fine, no more runny nose and without further delay called the staff at PAWS but the moment she saw Troy we were told Troy was already adopted by one of the volunteers. Hell we thought there wasn't a booking policy here...

We never give up. We promised ourselves that we'd come for Troy again later that week, hoping that somehow someone would release the cat. Later last week we went to PAWS again and true enough Troy was there. The plan failed as i was told by another staff that the volunteer who adopted Troy was coming on Sunday to pick him up. When we asked her how come the volunteer could book a cat - we were told, simply because she's a regular volunteer there... How unfair!

We managed to snap some pictures of Troy becuase we wouldn't want to forget him and the short time we have spent with him. Since the first time we met him, Troy has always been in our hearts. We just hope he'll end up in a good home and will feel happy there. God's willing, we'll meet again. We love you Troy!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Gabrielle named after Gabrielle Solis in Desperate Housewives is as pretty and as stylish. Blessed with smooth fur, Gabby as she is called is a mix persion, white, with sprinkles of peach and brown. Like Sid, Gabby was also adopted from SPCA on May 28, 2006. Gabby is slightly older than Sid (about 1 year old).

The reason for Gabby's adoption was to actually give Sid a companion - a sister, or if he likes it, a girlfriend. It came to our attention that being left alone at home when Sid's two daddies go to work could be pretty lonely.

We brought Sid to SPCA to sort of 'choose' his mate. Gabby's beauty caught our attention and true enough when the two met, they kissed. Unfortunately after that long kiss Sid hissed at Gabby. Ah ha but too bad boy, you daddies are already hooked with the girl! Auntie Tata (SId's godmother) was also at SPCA to choose a mate for Sid.

After signing the adoption papers, we brought Gabby home and that's the beginning of our lives with a second kid, this time a girl. Sid, Abah hopes you like the new gurl... Heheheheh.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Abah's baby Sid or full named Sidney was adopted from SPCA mid April 2006. Now Sid is about 8 months old. Sid is named based on Ice Age charachter because he has a similar pair of very round eyes and is as playful and jovial.

Sid would wait at the door for his abah and ayah to come home and play with him. Already toilet trained when we got him and always at his best behaviour, Sid is a blessing to our already happy home.

The first time we saw Sid in the SPCA cage, he beamed with love and had a promising look in his eyes that we'll have a jolly good time with him around. We straightaway went to Pets World to get a cat's neccessities (we bought a cage, a carrier, food, a collar, litter sand, litter box and of course a bowl) for our little boy. We returned to SPCA and adopted Sid the same evening.

To Sid, you have made our lives meaningful. We love you. Thank you for the good times. We promise to take good care of you and to give you a caring and loving home in return for the happiness you give us.